The World Aint Slowin Down
by Topcat2
Summary: "And...so it begins."--Lyle, Red Rock Jarod:: Story begins after the Pretender movie: Did you wonder what happened to Emily? Well, read to find out...
1. Prologue

The World Aint Slowin Down: Prologue

**The World Ain't Slowin' Down**   
**Topcat**

** Prologue**   
_I found you sitting on a suitcase crying_   
_ Beneath my feet I feel the rumble of a subway train_   
_ And I laugh out loud_   
_ Cause it's the one thing I hadn't been trying_   
_ The train came in breathless_   
_ The passenger's restless_   
_ You say, "Baby, you'll never change"_

_ You gotta get gone_   
_ You gotta get going_   
_ Hey, the world ain't slowin' down_   
_ For no one_

_ It's a carnival calling out to you_   
_ And it sounds like a song_   
_ It hits you like scripture_   
_ You paint the picture_   
_ With colors squeezed from your hand_   
_ Weren't you the kid_   
_ Who just climbed on a merry-go-round_   
_ Hey, look, the world ain't slowin' down_

_ Out on the sidewalk_   
_ The pigeons do the moonwalk_   
_ I'll be dancing like Fred Astaire_   
_ The lampposts are rockin'_   
_ The whole town is talking_   
_ Like a fool in a barber's chair_   
_ And I get the sensation_   
_ It's joy and frustration_   
_ Like getting caught by a drop of cold rain_   
_ Freedom can numb you_   
_ When there's no place to run to_   
_ It feels just like Novocain_

_ You gotta get gone_   
_ You gotta get going_   
_ Hey, the world ain't slowin' down_   
_ For no one…_

_ You packed up all your handbags_   
_ You're throwing off the sandbags_   
_ I let go when you stepped free_   
_ I didn't want to lose you_   
_ You said, "You didn't choose to --_   
_ It's just how your karma came"_   
_ But thanks for the vision,_   
_ And the twenty-twenty wisdom_   
_ It hit me like a south-bound train_

_ You gotta get gone_   
_ You gotta get going_   
_ Hey, the world ain't slowin' down_   
_ For no one…_   
© Ellis Paul Music (SESAC) 1998   
  



	2. Call and Answer

Call and Answer

**Chapter I:**   
**Call and Answer**

_If you call I will answer_   
_and if you fall I will pick you up_   
_and if you court this disaster I'll point you home_   
_I'll point you home_

**Emily:**   
As soon as I could walk, I was out of there. I felt a bit bad, knowing both Jarod and Dad would worry about me. Jarod was helping Ethan. Dad was taking care of the boy. We would find Mom together. That only left one order of unfinished business, as far as I was concerned. Lyle. That son of a bitch had killed Kyle, pushed me out a window, and I was sure as hell not going to just let it go. Jarod may not have killed him, because it was "wrong", but I'm past the point of caring about right and wrong anymore. That bastard is gonna pay. I am going to cause him pain, in more ways then he has ever imagined.****

**Two Months Later:**   
Blonde hair dye, contacts, and skin toner can change someone remarkably. I changed the outward appearance and got a job at the Centre as a…well, they gave it some long fancy name, but basically, I was to help Lyle and the other three on the hunt for Jarod. 

As the elevator came to a stop, the doors opened and I got off. Quickly I made my way to my new office, which was about half way between Lyle and Miss Parker's. I was about twenty minutes early so I got aquatinted to my new surroundings. By the time I had arranged everything to my liking and had gone to the bathroom, it was time to meet the boss. This unnerved me, I was terrified Lyle would recognize me. Deciding to face the music, I made my way down the hall, took a deep breath, and knocked on Lyle's office door. 

"Come in," Lyle's voice, even muffled by the door, sent shivers through me. I entered and he looked to see who it was. "Ah, you must be Faith Turner, our newest addition on the hunt for Jarod. I assume you have been briefed on what you will be doing?" 

"Yes sir," I had to work to keep the hate out of my tone. 

"Okay, why don't you go down and meet the others," he said, sitting back down behind his desk. As I was about to leave, he spoke up again, "Hey, you look kind of familiar. Have we met?" 

I paused, panicking, "No, we've never met." 

He gave me a strange look, but left it at that and nodded. As I left, I could still feel his eyes on me and once in the hall and out of his sight I shivered. He had been staring at me in a, I don't know, leering way the whole time I was in there. Good, the first part of my plan was working. He found me attractive, and that would be somewhat crucial to what I had planned. 

**Lyle:**   
As soon as she came in I gasped internally. She was beautiful. Not the type I usually went for, but I can't deny my immediate attraction to her. Even more than that, as much as I hate to admit it, she intimidated me. She seemed so cool and calm. Most people are almost quivering in fear when the meet me, but not her. I usually enjoy the looks of fear, but I was surprised to find myself smiling at the small smirk she had on her face, as if we shared some private joke. 

But still, I couldn't help but feel as if we had met before. In fact, she reminded me a bit of… nah. Couldn't be. Emily is somewhere with Jarod, probably gloating over their victory over me. 

**Emily:**

It's been a few weeks that I've been here, helping them search for my brother. I've seen Lyle several times since that first day, and every day I find him more attractive. 'No,' I tell myself, 'you are not falling for him.' But that's the problem. I am falling for him. When I look at him, I don't see my brother's killer. I see a man, a beautiful man, who was thrown into this whole shitty way of life, just like the rest of us. 

Then there's the whole part where he thinks I'm a psyche major. Which, by the way, I'm not. Yeah, I took a few psychology classes in college, but nothing extensive. I just put that in my resume because it made me look good. But, he doesn't know that. A few days after I started, he approached me about the idea of me counseling him. Deep down, he doesn't like the life he's living and he wants to change. That's what we established in the first session. Since then we've been slowly working the way through his life, facing the demons, finding the specific events that have made him the monster he is now. And as eager as he seems to change, there is still a part of me that is terrified it's an act.   



	3. Innocence Again

The World Aint Slowin Down-Ch 2-Innocence Again

**Chapter II: Innocence Again**

_Who are you gonna be?_   
_When you're on your knees, who do you believe?_   
_Fear is a lonely man_   
_You've been given innocence_   
_You've been given innocence again_

_You should know by now_   
_That the darkest hour_   
_Is when your broken heart goes down_   
_It's a bitter end_   
_When the sweet begins_   
_Grace is a sufficiency_

_But, oh dear, we'll never deserve it_   
_No dear, we never could earn it_   
_Now, here the choice is yours_

**Jarod:**   
When I got back that night, the first thing I noticed was that Emily was gone. I felt my stomach drop and land somewhere around my knees. I looked quickly around, looking for signs of a struggle and finding none. A slip of paper on the table caught my eye. Picking it up, I began to read— 

_Dear Jarod,_   
_I know you'll freak out when you find out I'm gone, but don't worry about me. I figure from the news that both you and Ethan survived the bombing. Our family is almost all back together. But even when it is, there will still be one piece missing. I can't just let Lyle get away with what he did to Kyle. Don't worry about me. As soon as I'm done with this I'll be back._   
_ Love,_   
_ Emily_

I sighed as I finished. She had gone after Lyle, putting herself in danger. Then again, there wasn't really much I could do but hope she knew what she was doing. Sighing again, I left to find Dad. 

**Emily:**   
Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was almost 10:00 am. That was when Lyle came in for his sessions. I cleaned up the area around my desk and cleared off the small couch in my office, as Lyle usually laid on it while he talked to me. Stereotypical yes, but he seemed more comfortable that way. 

At ten on the dot, there was a soft knock on my door. I called for him to come in. When he did, he took my breath away. He looked like he normally did, dressed in a suit and tie, each and every hair in place. But the look on his face was one I had seen only a handful of times since we had met. It was one of fear, an emotion I had not thought him capable of. It was one of a child, forced to grow up too fast, and see things no one, especially not a child, should ever see. But mostly, it was one of innocence. Just as Jarod's, mine and Kyle's innocence had been stolen at an early age, so had his. 'He's a product of the Centre,' I told my self, 'forced into a life he didn't ask for, just like the rest of us.' 

"Hey," I said, "right on time. Sit down and we'll get started." 

And so he lay down and we began. For about an hour, I just listened to him, occasionally making note of something important. It was in the middle of making a note when I realized something. He had told me about Bobby and he told me about Lyle. These were two completely different people. Lyle was a cold- blooded killer, the monster that had killed my brother. But Bobby was just a scared little boy, and all he had ever wanted was for someone to love him. 

And that was when everything became clear to me. Why I was falling in love with him. When he was around me, Lyle disappeared and it was like he had never existed. I was in love with Bobby, not Lyle. I also knew that he was beating himself up for all the bad things he had done. He didn't understand that they were two different people. 

"Bobby," I started when he reached a stopping point, "it wasn't your fault. None of this shit was your fault." 

He gave me a funny look. "Bobby? Why'd you call me that?" 

I gave him a small smile. "Because, there is a difference. Bobby didn't do any of that, that was Lyle. Lyle was trained by Rainse to be a killer. Bobby's the little boy you used to be, who sometimes takes over, when you let someone in and stop fighting to keep everyone away." 

And the look on his face told me that, finally, he understood the difference. 

**Lyle:**

She was so beautiful. Ever since her first day, she was all I could think about. Once my sessions started, I found myself falling in love with her. She was just so kind; she really seemed to care about me. For the first time in a long time, I felt as if I mattered to someone. As if I belonged. During my second session, I had broken down, and she had taken me in her arms, soothing away the hurt and pain. In those few minutes where her arms were wrapped around me I felt safe. I felt like I was somewhere I had never been before. Home. 

While I was talking, she was taking notes like she usually does, but all of a sudden, a look of, I don't know, enlightenment came over her face. Seeing that she was preoccupied with this epiphany I stopped. Sensing that I was done, she spoke. The first thing that registered was that she was telling me that it wasn't my fault. As I was about to argue, I realized she had called me Bobby. Not Lyle. I asked her why, and, smiling gently, she explained to me that they were two different people. Thinking about it, I realized she was right. There was always a part of me that crawled away and hid when I went in to Lyle mode. 

When she saw that I understood, she smiled and walked over to her stereo and put in a CD. 

"I want you to listen to this, to these lyrics, okay?" 

I nodded and she pushed play. At first I just listened, and I couldn't understand what she was getting at, until something caught my attention. 

_Who are you gonna be?_   
_When you're on your knees, who do you believe?_   
_Fear is a lonely man_   
_You've been given innocence_   
_You've been given innocence again_

_You should know by now_   
_That the darkest hour_   
_Is when your broken heart goes down_   
_It's a bitter end_   
_When the sweet begins_   
_Grace is a sufficiency_

_But, oh dear, we'll never deserve it_   
_No dear, we never could earn it_   
_Now, here the choice is yours_

Seeing a gentle smile on her face, I understood what she was getting at. All three of those verses fit perfectly, but the bottom line was, I had been given innocence again. 

**Emily:**

Pushing stop on the CD player, I turned my back to him, and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. At that moment, my feelings for him were controlling all rational thinking. All I wanted was to go over there, take him in my arms, and kiss him like there was no tomorrow. But, in the relationship we have established these past few months, that is not allowed. 

Once I had calmed myself, I went over and sat next to him on the couch. I could see that he was struggling to keep a calm face, but his trembling hands gave him away. Putting my hand on his back, I started to rub it in small circles, trying to calm him. Turning to look me, he gave me a small smile, but I could still see the tears in his eyes. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Then, they started to slip down his face and, at a loss of what to do, I took him in my arms, still rubbing his back, and whispering what I hoped to be soothing comments in his ear. 

When he had calmed himself, he pulled way slightly, his lips now only an inch or two above mine. I looked up at him. 

"Sorry about that," he whispered. 

"No it's okay, you are completely justified in crying after everything." I told him, also whispering. 

He looked down at me a moment longer before he closed his eyes and shook his head. I wondered what was wrong, so I asked, "Hey, what's wrong?" 

He opened his eyes and looked down at me. "It doesn't matter." 

"If it's, bothering you-" that was as far as I got before he cut me off. 

"Faith, it doesn't matter." 

"It matters to me." And it did. I really was worried about him. 

He paused and took a deep breath before replying, in barely more than a whisper, "I'm in love with you." 

I looked at him in shock and when I opened my mouth to speak, no noise came out. Seeing my reaction, he started again. "Yeah, look I'm really sorry. I wasn't exactly planning on it, but… well, I'm sorry." 

"You tell me you're in love with me and then you tell me your sorry? What right do you have?" I was, to say the least, shocked with his revelation. 

**Lyle:**

"I'm in love with you." The words had left my mouth before I even knew what I was doing. Once it was out I knew there was no turning back. So I did the next best thing. I apologized. 

"What right do you have?" That brought me back to the conversation. 

"Look Faith, I didn't ask for this and I'm sorry you don't return it, but I won't be sorry for how I feel. If you've taught me anything-" 

I was abruptly cut off by her lips on mine. 

**Emily:**

I heard him apologize again, and then he started to babble. Still in shock, I did the first thing to come to mind that would shut him up, damning the consequences. 

I kissed him. And the next thing I knew, he was kissing me back. 

**_TBC_**

Author's Note: Please review!!!!! 


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